JS> I was surprised to learn that certain sects of Judaism support
 JS> beheading. However, I don't think that what you are saying is
 JS> exactly the same as what I was saying in my previous post.

 JS> In other words, when I stated that there is only one religion that
 JS> I am aware of where beheading with a sword is an acceptable form of
 JS> capital punishment, what I really meant to express is that there is
 JS> only one religion that I know of where beheading with a sword is
 JS> currently an ACTIVE and ENFORCED form of punishment. This certainly
 JS> cannot be said of Judaism. There are no public executions by a
 JS> sword in Israel that I am aware of, but in some Muslim countries,
 JS> there most certainly are.

I accept your distinction, but in return point out the "obligation"
on Jews to seek observance of "Halacha" laws, and the obligation to
impose Noahide Laws upon Gentiles. Israel is currently a secular
state, unlike islamic "theocracies" such as Iran / Saudi Arabia.

The clear "halachic" requirement is that Israel change from a secular
state to a theocracy, under the (currently nascent) Sanhedrin, and to
rule the Gentile nations by imposing & enforcing Noahide Laws.

E.G. (noachide = noahide):


The Obligation of Jews to Seek Observance of Noachide[1] Laws by Gentiles: 
A Theoretical Review
by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde[*]

[... ...]

ABSTRACT
This paper addresses the scope of Jewish law's mandate upon Jews to enforce 
the Seven Noachide commandments, as well as any other rules Jewish law
mandates that Gentiles should keep. Part One of this article outlines what 
are the Noachide commandments, and their place in a halachic system. 

Part Two discusses the obligation of both Jews and Noachides under the rubric
of the commandment called dinim (literally: "laws" or
"justice"). 

Part Three reviews the various opinions on the obligation of Jews to 
enforce the Noachide commandments. Part Three will consider not only 
whether enforcement must be sought, but in situations where enforcement 
is not possible, whether Jewish law mandates Jews to seek to persuade 
Noachides to obey their commandments. It will also consider whether --
when such persuasion fails -- Jewish law, at the minimum, requires that 
one may not assist a Gentile in violating the Noachide commandments.

This article concludes that notwithstanding a minority opinion to the 
contrary, Jewish law accepts that Gentiles are obligated to keep the
Noachide laws, and they are obligated even for unintentional violations. So
too, Jewish law recognizes that Gentiles are obligated to create a system
of laws designed to -- at the minimum -- enforce the Noachide laws.
Finally, while Maimonides appears to accept that Jews as well as Noachides
are obligated to enforce the Noachide laws, many authorities, early and
late, reject this rule of Maimonides and deny that there is a halachic
obligation on individual Jews 
to compel Noachides to observe their laws. Finally this article noted that
whether there is (or is not) a halachic obligation to affirmatively enforce
the Noachide laws, it is nonetheless still biblically prohibited to enable
or entice a Noachide to violate the Noachide laws (if absent a Jew's
assistance, the law would not be violated). However, in a situation where
the Noachide is able to violate the law without the assistance of any Jew,
many authorities rule that there is no obligation to prevent a Noachide
from sinning and thus one may even assist the Noachide in sin.

[... ...]

Source: http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/noach2.html#oblig-compel


Cheers, Steve..

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